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How long will a new Bonneville last?

64K views 53 replies 38 participants last post by  OPENROADS 
#1 ·
I've been riding a Yamaha Vino 125 scooter for over a year now but want to "upgrade" to perhaps a new Triumph. How many miles can I expect a new Bonneville or perhaps, Scrambler, to last? I always perform maintenance on schedule. Will these bikes last 200,000 miles? Less? More?
 
#3 · (Edited)
There are examples of Bonnevilles going over 100,000 miles. A well-known example is Chris Coleman's.

This is remarkable on an air-cooled motorcycle engine in my experience, specially without an overhaul.
200,000 miles is probably too much to ask of any motorcycle engine. The average motorcyclist only does 3-4k miles a year, a figure that governments use to force through anti-bike legislation and one that manufacturers apply in designing the life expectancy of their engines.

With a Triumph you're in a happy position to enjoy an extremely well-made and over-engineered powerplant that will outlast most others. I believe this is because the engineers at Triumph know that being a re-born Marque that floundered because of unreliability and other problems, they have had to ensure that their engines last. Any reliability problems could have sunk the new brand very quickly, specially as nowadays they're competing with very reliable and well engineered machinery.

Cars are a different proposition altogether: Only yesterday I travelled smoothly and in total comfort in a Mercedes 300D taxi that had done over 400,000 miles. The engine still purred like a sewing machine...
 
#5 · (Edited by Moderator)
How many Japanese bikes make it to 100,000 miles, let alone 200,000 miles, without major work? A Bonneville will last just as long as a typical Japanese bike, if not longer. Even at 6,000 miles a year, you could expect to get 20 years use out of it. How much more can you expect? Anyway, some myopic car driver will have wrecked it for you long before you've had it 20 years if you're doing that sort of mileage. Chris Coleman's bike is one of the first Hinckley Bonnevilles made and one of the first (if not the first) to reach 100,000 miles so it will be a bit longer before we know how far they can go without major work.
 
#6 ·
Just want to amplify what Forchetto was saying to you...the key is not Japanese vs British, but rather...air cooled versus water cooled. It's just asking a bit much for an air cooled engine to deal with the differing tolerances as it heats up (and then heats up more). 100,000 miles is pretty darn good IMO. For better...consider a bike with a radiator. I'm assuming you must do a lot of bike riding and that high mileage is a realistic requirement.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Not a throwaway bike

A Bonnie will run as long as you're interested in keeping her running. Like anything mechanical, 'stuff' will eventually start showing wear, and will need replaced. From my experience to date, you have little to worry about. Almost 40,000 miles on my 2003 790cc, and no major issues, just replacement of wear items (brake pads, chain, sprockets).

My much older Beemer (1991 GS) recently turned 118,000 miles. She's required a bit more maintenance as she's gotten older, starting from most recent:
- steering head bearings - this year
- cam chain/tensioner. Carb rebuild - last year
- alternator rotor at 94000 miles. Replaced with aftermarket unit.
- replaced starter motor with good used one - 3-4 years ago
- pulled tranny at 65000 & 104000 miles to replace output shaft bearing (known design problem)
- Clutch and rear main seal at 65000 miles.
- Monoshock replaced at 50000.
The airheads typically have head work done at 80-100k miles (valves, guides, and as long as the heads are off, probably the pistons and rings, too). A warm compression test showed this old air cooled engine to be holding approx 140psi both cylinders. Not bad! So, the top end work will be on hold until 2010 or 2011.

Nice thing about bikes like the Bonnie and older airhead Beemers ...... many of the mechanical and cosmetic pieces and parts are the same year after year, and are interchangeable across various models. Makes it much easier to keep 'em runnin'!

Bob
 
#9 ·
longetivity

A Bonnie is oil cooled around the cylinders , so with nikasil cylinders a tighter piston clearance can be run which improves heat transfer and longer life . I would expect at least 100,000 miles with regular maintenence. We see in the shop bikes dying from neglect of all makes,not usually worn out.
 
#14 ·
A Bonnie is oil cooled around the cylinders , so with nikasil cylinders a tighter piston clearance can be run which improves heat transfer and longer life .
The Bonnie, like the Suzuki GSXR750/1100/Bandit600/1200/GSXF6/750 is oil cooled. And those are robust engines as far as I know.

Will the Triumph twin make it to 200k? We don't know yet, but I think it will, given proper maintenance.

Anyway, I don't plan on selling my Bonneville anytime soon. I'd rather pass it on to my eventual grandkids :cool:
 
#10 ·
And don't forget that the #1 most important thing if you want max mileage is frequent oil changes. It's been said 3000 miles is sort of a turning point for oil in a bike mainly due to the shear forces of the gearbox. Most oil no matter how good loses a lot of it's protection after that. It's been said it's better to run cheap dino oil and change it every 3k than to use the best oil of any type for longer like the recommended 6k triumph specifies. So change it as often as you can afford to and if these engines ARE capable of 200k, that would be the one thing you would HAVE to do to get there. you could spend the same amount by running an oil thats 1/2 the cost of the triumph recommended oil and just change it twice as often.....same cost, better protection if what they say is true.
 
#13 ·
Chris Coleman's bike is one of the first Hinckley Bonnevilles made and one of the first (if not the first) to reach 100,000 miles so it will be a bit longer before we know how far they can go without major work.
I wouldn't count on his crapping out anytime soon. I rode with him a month ago and he and the bike are still going strong. He does put on a lot of hiway mules though.

I'm comming up on 47K miles, my coil went at 35K and the clutch was toast at 42K

JRH is up to 50K and had a rectifier give out and replaced the clutch the same time I did mine.

the only thing we use ours for is hill bombing and we flog 'em pretty hard.

If I get 60K miles out of my motor before it needs a tear down I'll be happy.
 
#15 ·
I think these bikes will last as long as you take care of them . Considering replacing worn parts and stuff. They're well built . Only weak spot I see is some of the electrics .
As for mileage there are plenty of examples . A few 100k bikes out there already.
 
#18 · (Edited)
I'm 55 and I got my Bonnie new in April. I'll baby her and change oil before schedule and have Triumph techs check everything annually.

Only 3500 miles so far but tight and quiet and smoother each ride.

I fully expect this bike to last longer than me. Then I'll leave it to my son and let him worry about it.


Note: Only 6000 miles a year??? Maybe if I lived in Canada!!

I love cooler weather. You just put on more layers. As long as it's not below freezing I'll ride. (I don't like surprise ice patches.)
 
#19 · (Edited)
You could go for the record

The old bonnies have been around the clock a number of times if you ride around the speed limit and open it up now and then, and sevice it right with regular maintenace you should not have a prob but the question your asking is what?
how long will the bike last on a tank of fuel or if you do nothing to it ?
it will last for ever if you stick it on a truck in a box and drive the truck around. it may last 100,000kms before it needs a its first oil
It may last 20kms if you hit a cow.
Just buy one there great bikes and you will not care you will be along side the rest of the bolt on and loud pipe crew there fun bikes and heaps of cool on em.
ride it, use it.
if you buy second hand with only 2000kms on the clock or get a demo one cheaper you will be safe you've got a good bike and its had the first sevice and get is $2,000au off the window price ive flogged mine got 28,000 kms on it not a prob (ive been trying to blow it up so the missus feel sorry for me and let me buy a big bore kit (aint happenen). there the closest thing to unbreakable. and tuned down great ergonomics. Fair on juice. You will forget you ever asked this question once you've got one, im telling ya. I can't express enough in writting how i love this bike its light enough, powerfull enough, vissual enough and versitial enough.
Have you heard enough yet< Wel ya shoulda i just wrote it in the last sentance 4 times.
Why i say this is simple dollar 4 dollar value you've saved straight off the bat. enjoy it. I real think Triumph took the mid market by storm with this scoot and they must realise they through it out there to cheap by now but not much you can do once the horse has bolted.
And the Bonnie Black to me was the best looking nothing to do with money it just happened to be the cheapest one that i liked (thanks Triumph) "suckers". They also had a huge efect on the old britt bike maket a lot of the value has dropped out of those bikes people are like your self with reliability in mine on the top shelf. In an age with mobile phones and computers Who whan't to sit on the fence when there mates go by ay?.
What im realy trying to say is if you look after it im sure it will look after you. 200,000mile well you will spend money along the way but look at the up side you start off with a good price tag and you will save enough on fuel to buy another bike by then if you think you can part with it.
Then it maybe worth more money maybe less but all i can say is when im on mine you could not punch the smile of my dial.
have you thought of any other bikes because if you right a list of them then you maybe able to get a better answer on preferance and comparison but a question like that well there are way to many variables for anyone to give you a true answer. For example the GT Ductati well its more expencive off the mark but you get a bit more fuit if you like in the way of performance wares, But servicing is more expensive and i would imagine that it will not last as long as a Bonnie but it will thrash the Bonnie over the finish line, But the bonnie will go threw that finish line a lot more times. Then there the cost of parts to look at.
We might not even have oil or petrol by then, I think you are looking a bit to far into the future you may not like your Bonnie when ya mates are going past you to the drive in in there fying sorcers running on solar energy that are capable of speeding around in light years and not miles.
 
#20 ·
You're asking the wrong question. Any bike will last forever if you maintain it properly and keep replacing parts as they wear out. The real question is how much maintenance a bike will require, and what it will cost. All I can tell you about the Bonnie is that I've put 4,000 miles on my 08 and so far it has not required any maintenance at all except for scheduled oil changes. Nothing has broken or failed to work -- the thing just runs and runs. From this albeit brief experience, I have a lot of confidence in the quality that was built into the Bonnie and do not expect it to give me too much trouble in the future. It also does not have all of that sophisticated (read expensive) engineering that you see on Japanese or German bikes, so there is less to break and fixing it should be simple. I think the Bonneville would be an easy bike to own for 100,000 miles, maybe twice that.
 
#21 ·
I'm 56, got my bike last March, a November 2008 (58 plate) mint with 350 miles on the clock, its got 4600 now, not missed a beat, only engine mod is a 19 tooth front sprocket.
Lots of other bits added, kept mint and I expect this bike to out-last me, so much as its being left to Beauliea Motor Museum when I can no longer ride or peg it!
My 1st big bike was a 56 Thunderbird back in '76, had everything since and gone full circle, there is nothing else to get!
 
#23 ·
Update.

I bought a 2008 T100 showroom new in April last year. Right at 7k miles now. It still seems to run smoother every time I ride it. Illusion? It's so smooth that in 4th or 5th at about 4K rpm it feels like it has an electric motor. It's about as quiet as an electric too, because of the stock mufflers.

Fuel valve on gas tank didn't shut off properly and I got fuel in crankcase. I caught it before any damage was done and Donelson (St. Louis) fixed it, free; warranty.

Very slight front end wobble at 50 mph if I take my hands off bars. I'm not worried about it and am waiting to see if it changes with new front tire. I'll need one before long.

Everything else works flawlessly except that one problem I've reported before:

When I ride to work on a nice day the bike doesn't want to turn into the driveway at work. I've been told that the cause of the problem is the nut that holds the handlebars.
 
#26 ·
Everything else works flawlessly except that one problem I've reported before:
When I ride to work on a nice day the bike doesn't want to turn into the driveway at work. I've been told that the cause of the problem is the nut that holds the handlebars.
:D ROFLMAO :D
 
#24 ·
These new era twins are really fantastic because I think the quality of the engine design in terms of understressed and quality components is superb. Nikasil lined cylinders, an oil cooler, balance shaft which certainly not only greatly reduces vibrations but also because of the reduced vibrations reduces internal engine stresses. It's really fun riding the bike as well because the red line is seemingly pretty high at around 7,500 and it appears you can ride in the 5,000 + rpm neighberhood as much as you like without worrying about engine damage, of course as many have pointed out frequent oil changes with full synthetic are key. And the sound of the engine especially without an airbox but with free flow mufflers is so great, it's truly a blast from the past as far as the overall riding experience, but without all the maintenance issues of the older bikes. The older Meriden bikes are wonderful too, as long as they are babied and cared for properly, there is a lot of maintenance required but they will last a long time too if properly cared for.

Another great thing about the new Hinckley bikes is not only their ability to last seemingly forever, but the fantasticly low amount of maintenance required. Wondeful bikes, reasonable prices, beautiful to look at and gives tremendous pleasure to ride it. What more could any sane person ask for?
 
#31 ·
The older Meriden bikes are wonderful too, as long as they are babied and cared for properly, there is a lot of maintenance required but they will last a long time too if properly cared for.

Another great thing about the new Hinckley bikes is not only their ability to last seemingly forever, but the fantasticly low amount of maintenance required. Wondeful bikes, reasonable prices, beautiful to look at and gives tremendous pleasure to ride it. What more could any sane person ask for?
having experience both and now with over 35,000 on my latest bonneville, I couldnt agree more :)
 
#27 ·
Ride her like you stole her...

I've got 26,000 k's on my 11 month old Bonny.

That's 26,000 hard fast K's, too.

She knows every bump on the back roads, every dip, every damp corner.

I fully expect her to live beyond me.

The modern Triumph's are pretty bullet proof, imo.

Good tires, oil, filters and maintenance are the key.


S.
 
#32 · (Edited)
As with any mechanical device working life is shortened by deficient maintenance specially oil changes, brutal or harsh treatment of controls: Clutch, accelerator, gears, sharp on/off throttle movements, hard acceleration from low revs in high gears, etc.

Gentle and gradual working of controls goes a long way to achieving a long, useful life.

It's only an old-fashioned example but, have you ever observed the way people used their kickstarts when they were the norm?. Rather than placing your foot on the lever and taking up the slack or play in the mechanism followed by a swift push downwards, a lot of folk really "kicked" the lever into submission.

This sort of thing is often also observed during gearchanges. People slam the mechanisms rather than gently bring them into engagement. This produces a similar effect to a hammer action, where a 1 Lb hammer head can drive a 6" nail because of the inertia of the hammer head.

Prolonged high speed bouts on a well maintained and intelligently ridden bike shouldn't cause undue wear. Pulling wheelies and stoppies and similar abuse inevitably lead to an early demise.
 
#33 ·
There was a mention earlier about water cooled bikes lasting longer. I'm not sure I would agree with that as a generic comment. Sure there are some water cooled bikes that will last a very long time but converesly there are just as many which will have a much short life.

Most high power bikes these days have undegone a weight reduction regime which results in parts beign lighter and less strong than before and as a result more likely to suffer some failure due to wear. These high power units are water cooled.

A typical air/oil cooled bike has less to go wrong than a typical water cooled bike. Also tolerances tend to be larger in air cooled bikes so you can go longer before corrective action is required.

Any well maintained bike will last a long time, one with less "bits" and heavier build will usually last longer still.

james
 
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